WHAT: The 2015 Walmart Bass Fishing League season will continue with five tournaments on Saturday, July 18. The Buckeye division takes on the Ohio River, the Illini division heads to Rend Lake, the Music City division navigates Old Hickory Lake, the Northeast division competes on Oneida Lake, and the Piedmont division stops at the James River. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively in the one-day events.
WHEN: Saturday, July 18, 2015
Buckeye Division
Ohio River
Lawrenceburg City Ramp
Tanner’s Creek Drive
Lawrenceburg, Ind.
NOTES: The bass fishing on the Ohio River is expected to be good. Anglers will be seen targeting postspawn bass on the main river and in bays. Popular areas will include weed beds, rock banks and near isolated wood. Anglers will likely run crankbaits, plastic worms and spinnerbaits when fishing banks, while jigs, crankbaits and spoons will be favored in creek mouths. A 15-pound five-bass limit will most likely be needed to win this event.
Illini Division
Rend Lake
Wayne Fitzgerald Sailboat Landing
11094 Ranger Road
Whittington, Ill.
NOTES: Rend Lake is setting up to produce some quality stringers this tournament. Previous winners have found success near rocks and wood using swimbaits. Targeting main-lake point bushes with jigs and worms has also been known to do well this time of year. Anglers will also be seen using jigs on lay-downs to catch some good-sized fish. Five bass nearing 12 pounds are expected to take top honors.
Music City Division
Old Hickory Lake
Bulls Creek Access
200 Odoms Bend Road
Gallatin, Tenn.
NOTES: Old Hickory Lake is an exciting destination for bass anglers this time of year. Fans following the tournament will likely see anglers targeting bass near suspended cedar trees and in submerged cover like wood and rocks. Fishing drops with a worm is also expected to be a popular pattern. Recent local fishing reports indicate jigs and creature baits are also producing sizable fish. A five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds should tip the scales in the winner’s favor.
Northeast Division
Oneida Lake
Oneida Shores County Park
9400 Bartell Road
Brewerton, N.Y.
NOTES: At this point in the season, Oneida Lake rarely disappoints as a bass fishery. Winners of BFL competitions in the past have topped the standings by targeting isolated grass, docks and rocks. Finding baitfish in weed clumps will also play a role in this tournament. Tubes, swimbaits and jigs will likely be the baits of choice for competitors. A five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds should be enough to earn the victory at Oneida Lake.
Piedmont Division
James River
Osborne Landing
9530 Osborne Turnpike
Henrico, Va.
NOTES: The James River is in ideal tournament condition right now. Local anglers report bass are being found on cypress trees in the tidal flats. Creeks are also said to be holding a lot of active fish – especially in mouths on wooded points where there is current. Popular baits this tournament will include spinnerbaits and plastic worms. A five-bass limit nearing 14 pounds is expected to hold the top spot at this tournament.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2015 over the course of 240 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
By: Brian Johnson, FLW
